Fix basic civic services first

The Karnataka government has sought public input on what should go into Brand Bengaluru. According to the official website, Brand Bengaluru envisions a city with pedestrian-friendly roads, prioritising safety and convenience for its citizens. It also highlights other necessary improvements like transportation networks, green spaces, urban planning, fostering innovation and startups, and so on, aiming to "create an ecosystem that fosters collaboration, empowers individuals, and drives positive change".

However, branding a city like Bengaluru might be misconceived. Brands usually provide a unique identity to the products of a company, for instance, toilet soap. It is easily recognisable by customers and therefore helps in establishing credibility and loyalty among them. Personal branding is about promoting oneself, as in the case of celebrities like movie stars and sportspersons.

But cities, on the other hand, are known for their distinct characteristics. London’s brand is that of a global financial centre, and Silicon Valley in California is recognised as a centre of IT and technological innovation. Bengaluru already carries the brand of Silicon Valley of India, recognised as an IT capital and technology hub. Rather than creating a new brand for the city, it should focus on retaining and improving this identity, which is known all over the world, particularly considering the intense competition it is now facing from other Indian cities like Delhi and Hyderabad.

We must realise that Bengaluru is now in danger of losing its reputation as a global city because of its other weaknesses: poor infrastructure, potholed roads, unusable footpaths, severe traffic congestion, pollution, poor sanitation, ever-growing waste, water, and energy deficits, bad municipal services, corruption, and harassment by civic authorities. It is heartening to note that Brand Bengaluru’s vision statement addresses most of these issues but appears too ambitious and lacks coherence and clarity. It starts by prioritising the safety and convenience of its citizens and concludes by envisioning itself as "a global leader attracting international collaborations and investments", and positioning itself as "a cosmopolitan city on the world stage". So it reads more like what Bengaluru is aspiring for rather than building a particular brand.

What the government must now do is draw up an agenda focusing on overcoming its weaknesses and making Bengaluru a livable city for all its citizens. Drawing from its vision statement and people’s suggestions, I would propose the following measures:

1. Implement Good Governance: At the moment, what we are witnessing is bad governance—lack of transparency, inefficiency, apathy, inordinate delays in the execution of projects and delivery of services, poor quality infrastructure, and corruption at all levels of administration. The premier institutions of the BBMP and BDA are steeped in corruption and don’t respond to people’s grievances. Hence, putting all the city institutions in order should be the first priority. This is going to be an extremely difficult task, and the government cannot rely on the existing staff to deliver goods. Drastic institutional reforms are required, which will take time; for the present, it would be necessary to engage trained professionals on a temporary/part-time basis in areas like urban planning and project management, infrastructure development, solid waste management, and traffic management.

2. Ensure Citizen Safety and Calready: Items already identified as a priority must be translated into action: pedestrian safety (particularly the elderly and children). This would involve well-maintained footpaths, clearly marked road crossings, good cycling tracks (wherever possible), proper street lighting, regular pruning of tree branches, and women’s safety.

3. Fix pothole-infested roads: Bengaluru has come to be identified with potholes, causing great risk to commuters and something that tarnishes the image or brand of a global city, a technology hub at that. Address the problem to improve the city's image and commuter safety.

4. Complete incomplete Projects: Finish pending projects like the Ejipura flyover, half-done roads and footpaths dug out, dangerous corners at traffic junctions as on the 100-foot road in Indiranagar, and the long-pending BDA works like the Kempe Gowda layout.

5. Ease Traffic Congestion: Adopt short- and long-term measures to reduce traffic congestion, which is a significant issue in the city. Bengaluru is now ranked as one of the most congested cities in the world.

6. Control illegal constructions: Address the growing problem of illegal constructions and proliferating encroachments, which cause serious damage to Brand Bengaluru.

7. Revise the Master Plan: Upgrade the outdated plan with complicated zoning and building regulations to simple and people-friendly regulations.

8. Focus on the poor and migrants: This group, which makes up the large informal sector, needs special attention. Provide affordable housing and basic amenities, supporting their livelihoods.

9. Ensure adequate water supply and water conservation: Encourage water conservation and regulate groundwater usage while promoting energy efficiency and uninterrupted power supply.

10. Empower Urban Local Bodies: Finally, decentralise adequate power and strengthen urban local bodies, empowering them both administratively and financially. Allow ward committees to function effectively at the local level. Strengthen city leadership by empowering the mayor and the political executive of the local government. Activate the Metropolitan Planning Committee to function as an effective apex planning and coordinating body. Examine the splitting of BBMP into two or more smaller corporations as the present municipal body has become too unwieldy to manage efficiently.

After setting the agenda, it is important to set up a monitoring mechanism at different levels. Each item on the agenda has to be periodically and regularly monitored, and accountability has to be fixed on each functionary. A result-oriented and transparent approach must be adopted, follow-up action taken, and the progress reported to the public to get feedback. Proper and reasonable time limits (short, medium, and long-term, depending on the project) must be set for achieving targets and corrective action taken.

Resolve simple things relevant to the daily needs of the people first, aim for ease of living for all sections of society, and Brand Bengaluru will take care of itself.

(The writer is former chief secretary, Government of Karnataka)